NBC Changes ‘Drug Wars’ Promos After Noriega Arrest
Following the surrender of former Panama strongman Manuel Noriega Wednesday night, NBC said Thursday it was changing its promos of “Drug Wars: The Camarena Story” to include mention of Noriega’s alleged ties to drug traffickers such as those depicted in the miniseries.
The six-hour drama, which airs Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, tells the story of Enrique (Kiki) Camarena, a United States Drug Enforcement Administration agent whose abduction and murder in 1985 has been tied to drug lords in Mexico.
“Noriega was the funnel for drug lords in Mexico, and Kiki Camarena went up against a major drug lord there,” John Miller, the NBC vice president in charge of promotion, said in an interview Thursday. “We began to mention Noriega in headlines in our promos several days ago. But last night, as we were watching news stories about Noriega’s surrender and his ties to the drug trade, we decided, ‘This is a real connection to a major news event--let’s take advantage of it.”’
Exact wording of the new spots was still being worked out.
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